Hello ladies
I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2004, thought I had beaten it, but then it turned up again in my liver - this May. My prognosis was not good as I had “multiple lesions” on my liver. I obviously thought the worst and felt so sad that I might not see my little 2 year old grandson grow up.
However, I have now had 6 sessions of Vinorelbine and Herceptin and had a scan to see how things were going last Monday. I was absolutely dreading the result - but I saw my oncologist on Friday and he said “its an excellent result”. I stared at him blankly as I didn’t expect him to use those words. But sure enough, the scan result (which he showed me) said “excellent shrinkage”. I hope this will keep improving and just thought it might give a bit of hope to you other ladies just starting on your secondary cancer treatment. Keep smiling!
Love
Linda
Hi Linda,
That’s wonderful news! Thanks for sharing, it does encourage us all so much. I have liver secondaries too and had good shrinkage on Taxol and Herceptin, now maintained for 9 months on Herceptin and Tamoxifen.
I know what you mean about starting at him blankly - I’ve always had real trouble digesting good news, as I had so much bad news time after time at the beginning.
Have you any plans to celebrate the news? Food, drink, entertainment, shopping? Go on, treat yourself!
love Jacquie
Linda
Really pleased you’ve got good news.
My onc said to me on friday that there is increasing more evidence how well herceptin works in combo with different chemos.
My best result since having secondaries was on vineralbine and herceptin although doing well on herceptin and weekly taxol now ( well apart from some odd side effects but I can live with them).
My friend was told that she can have vineralbine more than once as well and some women in the States but could be France, have stayed on vineralbine for many months but they don’t seem to do that in the UK.
Brilliant to get good news
Kate
Vinorilbine also worked quite well for my regional tumours last year…I had 6 cycles with xeloda and they shrank well. After I came off vinorilbione they grew again. I am now on weekly taxol because taxotere worked quite well for me in the past, but I expect to return to vinorilbine when that fails. Vinorilbine works on tumour growth in a smilar way to the taxanes.
In my case being her2- I can’t do herceptin. So actually anything about herceptin selfishly doesn’t encourage me at all…just makes me feel bitter and wistful.
For myself…I’m very clear that all treatments for me will eventually fail. I am rather bemused when there seems to be quite so much celebration and congratulations about chemos ‘working’…yes its great…but it is always qualified…as far as we know mets are not curable…and certainly not by chemotherapy…and some people whiz through treatments and die very quickly…while others have better responses. I think its so important to balance the good and bad stuff…if we don’t then the Pink October articles about nearly everyone surviving breast cancer just proliferate.
Linda really pleased for you…my other comments should perhaps be a separate thread…I’m just getting tired of seeing some threads which imply shrinkage may mean cure.
Jane
Hi Linda
really pleased you have had good results.
Love Debsxxx
Hello ladies
Thank you for your encouraging words - well most of you !! I am so glad that I remain positive and hopeful as I am sure that has a lot to do with recovery. I don’t really tend to focus on the thought that nothing will work and we are all going to die. I like to remain optimistic and not harbour dark thoughts that do no good to anyone. There is such a thing as a 'self fulfilling prophecy.
Love
Linda
Sorry Linda for posting my thoughts on your thread…I’ve put them too on a thread I started which is the best place for them.
Really glad your treatment is working.
best wishes
Jane